The Case For Civility
Posted on February 23rd, 2009
This book and the linked discussion below discusses the principles of civility and will help many understand why I really did need to apologize for shouting out “It’s the law” in the house chamber.
In our public life, America is struggling to live up to its national ideals. The Case for Civility: And Why America’s Future Depends On It is a proposal for restoring civility around the world. Influential Christian and speaker Os Guinness makes a passionate plea to put an end to the polarization of American politics and culture that—rather than creating a public space for real debate—threatens to reverse the very principles our founders set into motion that have long preserved liberty,diversity, and unity in this county.
America, with it’s rich history and robust cultural resources, is the very best place to begin to search for answers on fostering civility, argues Guinness—even in the wake of near constant “stupidity and destructiveness of the culture warring over religion and public life—on both sides.”
Rich with historical anecdotes that unlock the genius of the American experiment, Guinness also takes on the contemporary threat of both the religious right and the secular left to construct a new way forward in the midst of the buildup to the 2008 presidential elections.
Os Guiness talks with Michael Horton over at the White Horse Inn:
Tags: statesmanship
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A Little Bit of Both
Posted on February 18th, 2009
Some of you may be wondering about the meaning of the blog title: “Off the Marble.” The name comes from an euphemism sometimes used by those who work in the capitol building. When someone is in the capitol building it can be said they are “on the marble”, referring to the fact that the floors and much of the building is made of marble.
“Off the Marble” in this case means two things. First, I intend for the blog to be a source of news and commentary coming off or from the state capitol. Second, it is intended for those who are not on the marble – those grassroot Arkansans who are off the marble.
When I was running for election the first time a voter warned me, “All that marble down there gives off some kind of fumes that causes otherwise good people to go completely insane.” He would probably wonder if the title meant “off my rocker” or “lost my marbles.” When one considers the wisdom of a legislator writing news and commentary on every imaginable topic, I’d probably have to answer that it’s a little bit of both.
That having been said, I think that Rep. Steve Harrelson has demostrated that a legislator can produce an informative blog in a statesman-like manner. Indeed, his blog Under the Dome is the inspiration for this one. Since I intend to provide more opinion and commentary than he, I will need to be evermore and even-more diligent in maintaining a spirit of statesmanship.
The challenge of statesmanship is to have the vision to dream of a better, safer world and the courage, persistence, and patience to turn that dream into reality. – Ronald Reagan
What does the word statesmanship mean? Tell me your definitions. Do you think opinions can be expressed in a statesman-like manner? Can it be done perfectly? If not, what is the proper response from a politician who fails? Do politicians grow in statesmanship as they practice it and gain experience or is it something that some people are born with? Why aren’t more politicians these days more concerned with becoming statesmen? Is a statesman disadvantaged in the rough and tumble arena of politics in today’s political climate?
Tags: statesmanship
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